Trace-holder.



T. 0. MARTIN.

TRACE HOLDER. APPLICATION FILED APR.9, 1912.

1,061,095. Patented May 6, 1913.

. Inventor Attorneys UNTTE STA% P 102 ETQE.

THOMAS C. MARTIN, OF NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE.

TRACE-HOLDER.

Patented May 5, 1913.

Application filed April 9, 1912. Serial No. 689,611.

Specification. of Letters Patent.

750 all wh m it may concern. wardly and upwardly from the forward end Be it known that I, THOMAS C. MARTIN, thereof. A jaw 7 is secured to and prefera citizen of the United States, residing a ably integral with the forward or outer end Nashville, in the county of Davidson and of the arm 6 and has the ears 8 projecting State of Tennessee, have invented a new ant from the upper and lower ends thereof, useful Trace-Holder, of which the following these ears being provided with inner lugs is a specification. or extensions 9 at their outer ends. A clamp- This invention relates to trace holders, and ing jaw 13 is arranged between the cars has for its object to provide novel means or and has ribs 15 at its upper and lower ends, attaching traces or tugs to the swingle trees which ribs contact with the lugs 9, the abutof vehicles. ting portions of the ribs and lugs being ta- Another object of the present invention is pered or arranged diagonally relative to the to provide a device of this character which jaws, in order that when the clamping jaw is readily applicable to the swingle tree and 13 is moved forwardly, the said jaw is a so which is adapted to receive and clamp the moved toward the other or stationary jaw 7, heel of the tug or trace. and vice-versa. The ribs 15 are 0 a t ick- A further object is to provide novel means ness coincident with the length of the lugs for locking the trace holder to the swing e 9, and the jaw 13 is somewhat longer than tree. the jaw 7 in order that the movable jaw This invention also contemplates a device may have suitable play between the ears of this character which shall be simple, 8. The inner or adjacent faces of the jaws durable and inexpensive in construction, and 7 and 18 are provided with ratchet teeth 12 which shall be convenient and efficient in and 1 1, respectively. The ears 8 are a so use. provided with diagonal elongated slots 10, With the foregoing and other objects in and pins or other members 16 are engage view, which will be apparent as the invenor screw-threaded into the upper and lower tion is better understood, this invention is ends of the movable jaw 18, the said pins embodied in the novel construction and comworking in the slots 10 in order to retain the bination of parts hereinafter described and ribs 15 in continual contact with the lugs 9 claimed, reference being had to the accom and in order to prevent the removal of the panying drawings wherein the invention is movable jaw from the ears 8 without reillustrated, and wherein,' moving the said pins.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the trace The cockeye 5 is locked on the end of the holder as in use. Fig. 2 is a plan view there swingle tree by means of a latch pivoted to of, a portion thereof being shown in section. the arm 6 and having a portion adapted to Fig. 3 is a side elevation, partially in secbe projected through the cockeye and to ention. Fig. 1 is a sectional view taken on the gage the swingle tree. This latch is bent line i a-of Fig. 3. from wire and comprises a portion 19 jour- Referring in detail to the drawings,wherenaled throu h the arm 6, a downwardly proin similar reference characters ave been jecting portion 18 at one end of the jounale employed to designate corresponding parts, portion 19 and which has a finger 17 bent a fragmental portion of one end of a swingle from its outer end to contact with the bottree has been designated by the letter F and tom of the arm 6, an arm 20 projecting from the heel or rear en of a trace or tug has the other end of the journaled portion 19 been designated by the letter T. Ordinarily and having a doubled portion 21 forming a the heel or the tug or trace is provided with finger piece adapted to seat on the upper an o ening through which the end of the side of the cockeye, and a finger .22 bent from swingle tree is inserted, and it is frequently the free end of the arm 20 and projectable the case that the strain on the tug or trace through an aperture 11 in the sides of the causes the heel thereof to be torn from the cockeye at the end opposite the arm 6. he swingle tree, this objection being overcome finger 17 engages the bottom of the arm 8 in by the provision o the trace holder to be order to give a downward tension to e outer or free end of the arm 20 in order to normally retain the finger 22 in the aperture 11, and the finger piece 21 projects beyon the cockeye er to permit the arm 20 to be raised or swung upward to free the presently described.

In carrying out the invention, there is rovided a cockeye 5, which is adapted to engage on the end of the swingle tree an which has an integral arm 6 pro ecting in 0rd for- finger 22. The swingle tree is provided with within the scope of the appended claims an aperture or notch through which the without departing from the spirit of the in Inger 2 2 is adapted to be projected in order vention. to lock the cockeye 5 upon the swingle tree. Having described the invention, what is 5 he upper rib is provided with a claimed as new is 2 thumb piece 23 projecting from its rear end 1. r. trace holder embodying a jaw proin order to facilitate moving the member 13. vided with a cockeye and provided with he member 13 is also spring pressed forcars projecting from the upper and lower wardly by means of a re 'lient wire having ends of the aw having inner tapered lugs 10 one end engaged to a pin or lug 26 adjacent at their outer ends, a clamping ja r arranged the rear end of the slot 10 in the upper ear between said ears and having tapered ribs "8 and having its other end engaged to the at its upper and lower ends contacting with. upper pin 16, with the intermediate porthe said lugs, so that the clamping jaw is tion wound around a pin or lug 2-lprojectmoved toward the aforementioned jaw 15 ing from the upper end of the jaw 7. This when the clamping jaw is moved forwardly, the adjacent faces of the jaws being toothed and eing adapted to receive a trace, the cars having elongated slots therein, and pins carried by the upper and lower ends of the wardly in order to retain the jaw in en agement with the trace, thereby eliminating the detachment of the trace should the same be- 20 come slackened. c amping jaw and working in the said slots In use, the trace holder is engaged to the to hold the ribs in continual contact with end of'the swingle tree in the manner indithe lugs.

cated, it being understood that one of the 2. A trace holder embodyin a coclreye trace holders is engaged to each end of the having an aperture through its sides adja- 25 swingle tree, and the heel of the'trace or tug cent its rear end, an arm projecting from the i forward end. of the coclreye, means caried by the arm for en aging a trace, and a latch for locking the cockeye to a swingle tree and comprising a wire bent to form a port-ion journaled through said arm, a downwardly projecting portion at one end of the journaled portion and having a finger bent from its outer end to contact with the bottom of the arm, an arm projecting from the other end of the ournaled portion and having a double portion forming a finger piece adapted to seat on the upward side of the cockeye, and a finger bent from the free end of the latter arm projectable through the aperture in the sides of the cockeye to engage the provided on the inner faces of the jaws serving to bite the trace or tug and to prevent ie same from slipping out of position. In this manner, the trace or tug is securely attached to the swingle tree and the pull or draft on the trace or tug will tend to draw he movable jaw 13 forwardly in order to more tightly clamp the trace or tug between the jaws, thereby eliminating the possibility of t e trace or tug eing withdrawn from "the holder. The trace or tug may be readily released by forcing the movable jaw 13 rearwardly, which will move the jaws apart to 45 permit the withdrawal of the trace or tug.

The trace holders may also be readily dis- 'engaged from the swingle tree by raising the arm 20 of the latch by means of the finger piece 21, in which event the finger 22 will 50 be withdrawn from the cockeye to tree the swingleltree.

" l device constructed in accordance with 3. A trace holder embodying a jaw pro vided with a cockeve and provided with two ears, a clamping jaw slidable between the said ears and operably engaged thereto so that when the said jaw is moved forwardly,

'16 same is moved toward the at'orementioned jaw, the jaws being adapted to receive a trace, the ears having elongated slots therein, pins carried by the c amping jaw and working in the said slots to hold the clamping jaws in operative position, and a spring connecting one of the ears and the corresponding pin together for pressing the clamping jaw forwardly.

n testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto afiixed my signa- 12 ture in the presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS C. MARTIN.

t e present invention Wlll be substantial,

simple, durable and inexpensive, and. in its 55 use will be both convenient and etficient. T e teeth 12 and let of the jaws 7 and 13, respectively, may be modified, that is, may

i e sharpened or made blunt to properly engage the trace or tug, and it is understood 6 -that thisd vice may be constructed of various materials, may be ma e in various sizes and proportions, and is otherwise susceptible of alterations and deviations in its details Witnesses M. P. HoonENrYL, M. THOMPSON. 

